Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden

Shinjuku Gyoen (新宿御苑) is one of the largest parks in Tokyo and is popular to visit. It was first established during the Edo Period (1603-1867) as part of a feudal lord’s residence. The grounds were later transferred to the Imperial Family in 1903 and were converted into a botanical garden. It was used for recreational activities and entertainment for guests. The park was almost completely destroyed during World War II, but was later rebuilt in 1949 as a public park. It currently features three different landscape gardens, which are Japanese, French, and English. The Japanese garden has a large pond that is dotted with islands and bridges with several pavilions surrounding the area. The French garden is symmetrical arranged like a formal garden in France. The English garden has wide open lawns that are surrounded by cherry trees. There is also a greenhouse that features many tropical and subtropical flowers. There are 400 cherry blossom trees in the Shinjuku Gyoen that bloom in the spring. In the autumn it becomes even more attractive when the trees change to fall colors.